1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engine arrangement structure of a saddle-ride type vehicle including two front wheels and two rear wheels.
2. Description of Background Art
There is generally known a saddle-ride type vehicle that includes two front wheels and two rear wheels with a steering system member provided in the front of a body frame. An engine is provided at the center of the body frame, and a seat is arranged behind a cylinder of the engine. See, for example, JP-A No. H10-329553. This kind of vehicle is configured in such a manner that the engine includes a crankshaft extending in the front-rear direction of a vehicle body with an alternating current generator (hereinafter, referred to as ACG) provided at one end of the crankshaft, and a power transmission system member including a torque converter and the like being provided at the other end thereof.
The power transmission system member is overhung ahead of the engine relative to the engine cylinder part, and the ACG is overhung behind the engine relative to the engine cylinder part. In this case, a width by which the power transmission system member is overhung is larger than that by which the alternating current generator is overhung in a general design.
A vehicle with this configuration is required to have a compact design since the steering system member is located ahead of the engine. Even when the engine is displaced to the rear of the vehicle body in order to secure a front space, it is difficult to displace the engine to the rear because the seat is located behind the engine cylinder in the saddle-ride type vehicle including two front wheels and two rear wheels.